Wisconsin Badgers

Jeff Potrykus Monday chat transcript

UW football

Q:
Doug Greenberg,
san antonio
- Hey Jeff-Certainly pleased with game one. It was nice to not stress for 2-3 quarters like last year. Is it picky to be worried about how the run "D" performed? I am also worried about Welch watching with crutches. What surprised you most out of any team in the big 10 during week 1 (score, or performance, etc.)? Thanks Jeff

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Evening all. Let's get right to the questions. Doug: I'll have a story up later tonight related to the defense. There were specific reasons why the defense struggled, easily corrected. Too early to panic yet. The crutches were just to keep off the leg but Welch likely will be out for some time. They're going with French and Lerner...any team? NU winning at BC without Persa. That was a nice victory.

Q:
Waubesa,
San Clemente, CA
- Jeff:
Obviously a great first game offensively. My two biggest concerns are relative to the poor tackling overall by the defense, and Borland seemingly appearing very tentative; always just a step late. In your opinion was this because he's so new in the middle, the pistol offense, or something we should be concerned about for the season?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Borland played his first full game since the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl. See our site later tonight for a story describing how UNLV ran a new offense that UW hadn't prepped for. That explains some of the defensive problems, though not all.

Q:
badgermaniac,
wisconsin
- Do you think that Borland will have less big play impact on the inside than he did on the outside? And, if so, do you think this will have a negative impact on the performance of the defense?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I think Borland will be fine at mike backer. Once he gets comfortable he should be able to fly around and make plays.

Q:
Max,
Milwaukee
- Who all do the Badgers have gray shirting from the 2011 class? I know Eric Steffes, but is there anyone else? Thanks Jeff

A: Jeff Potrykus
- No changes since Feb. Steffes and Hammon from Milton.

Q:
Travis,
Washington
- I heard the excuses that the defense was playing vanilla or they were not ready for the pistol offense was why the defense struggled vs UNLV. Even if that is true on basic runs up the middle our defense was pushed back 5 yds on many plays which is just a sign of a lack of size and talent. Also, there were countless missed tackles which is normally a sign of a bad defense. Do you think this defense can improve or will the be average at best?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- will it be a great defense? Doubtful. But I'd expect improvement this week and for it to be a solid unit overall. And your assumption that the runs up the middle show a lack of size and talent is incorrect.

Q:
James,
Topeka, KA
- Will Borland move back to OLB and Taylor move to middle LB? They both looked lost at their positions vs UNLV. When will UW show their new aggressive blitz defense and bump and run?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- No on Borland. Taylor back to middle LB? He hasn't played middle LB at UW.

Q:
Mitch,
Washington
- RW is the real deal, but its possible UW is one ACL or shoulder separation away from a 5-7 season. I understand Budmyer is hurt, but he did not look to be the answer at QB anyway. Can you explain the circumstances by which UW left itself so thin at QB, with RW and then 2 guys behind him who are not ready. Brennan may be the worst QB to actually play in a game for UW since the days of Tony Lowery.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- UW's QB situation is the same as it was last season with Tolzien/Budmayr. Two guys aren't here -- Phillips (injury) and Stallons (transfer). UW tried to get two QBs in the 2011 class but landed just one. The late addition of Wilson offset the miss on the second recruit. You've seen Brennan in one game and you already know how bad he is? I've seen Samuel, Bollinger, Stocco, Donovan and Tolzien all look awful at some point before they became full-time starters.

Q:
Ron,
Fond du lac,WISCONSIN
- Jeff, I really missed seeing a real pass rush. Is the main reason cause we miss number 99 and 44 working together as in the past ?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I thought the ends got dood pressure, particularly when you consider UW went with a four-man rush for almost the entire night. Nzegwu got two sacks, Gilbert one with a ff and Kelly got a couple hurries.

Q:
Brathead,
Newport, RI
- Thought the Beavers would prove a better test for UW than UNLV - then they lose to Sad Sac. State, giving up nearly 300 yds in the air. Should we expect another Russell Wilson led blowout? What's your predicted score Jeff?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I would expect Oregon State to make a big jump this week. I would expect UW to win handily.

Q:
Greg,
Milwaukee
- I realize that UNLV is a far inferior opponent, but can you remember ever seeing a Badgers offense that looks this fast? Even the lineman were flying downfield.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- UW's 2005 offense with calhoun, williams, orr, daniels and company was pretty dam fast/quick. And the linemen have been more mobile than outsiders realize for some time now.

Q:
Jeri Byrne,
Shullsburg WI
- Why is it that the (tight ends) blockers do not get more attention/press? One of the blockers, Senior tight end Jake Byrne, in my opinion is one of the best blockers but hardly ever gets credit EXCEPT for the remark that you made after the recent game. Thank you.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Well, I seem to recall writing a feature on Jake last season. And after the first game this season I made sure to point out the key blocks thrown by Jake and Jacob.

Q:
Ken,
Madison, WI
- So far it seems that the offense scores more quickly than last year. Against UNLV this year, UW's TD drives lasted 3:11, 1:56, 3:40, 1:54, :31, 1:44 and 2:18. While this certainly is a sign of health in the offense, how will this impact on our defense and how tired it is? Perhaps it does not matter so long as you are putting more points on the board than the other team, but is there the potential this year for us to turn into last year's Michigan--lots of offense and a so-so defense?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- It did affect the ability of the defensive coaches to make sideline adjustments. I addressed that either the night of the game or the following day and that factor is again noted in the story that will be posted later tonight.

Q:
John,
Brookfield
- Any chance Wisconsin gets involved in an opening night mega game like LSU-Oregon? I know the schedule is done years in advance but a game like that would be cool.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Maybe if UW stays hot for a couple more years. This might be the first time in a long time the networks view UW as a hot product.

Q:
Patrick Grasso,
Alexandria, VA
- With expansion talk heating up again, do you have any information on which schools--other than Notre Dame--are on the Big Ten's radar? They did a major study, so there must be some information somewhere indicating what their priorities would be if/when further expansion occurs. But that information is not public, so I hope you can let us in on anything you've picked up. Thanks, and keep up the good work.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I doubt the Big Ten makes a move unless ND is involved. Don't see them adding two teams just to go to 14 sted of 12. No value in that unless we're talking a big name.

Q:
chuck holzinger,
dallas texas
- Will Philip Walsh be able to kick this coming weekend? Think we need him for kick-offs replacing Lerner.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- WELCH isn't expected back until the NIU gae at the earliest.

Q:
Harry J.,
Madison, Wis.
- What is Frederick's condition...Will he be out for a substantial period?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- MCL. One week likely.

Q:
BosJefe617,
Boston, MA
- Jeff, after watching UW's opener against UNLV, and having been a Badger fan for the last 30 years, I am trying to not be hyperbolic about Russell Wilson. But come on, have we honestly had a player at QB with the athletic skills, experience, brains, maturity of Russell? He truly has the potential to be one of UW's best QB's of all time. I suggested during the game during Dave Heller's live blog that he is the best athlete since Brooks Bollinger, and he rightly corrected me by saying, "yes, but Russell is a better passer than Brooks was". I'm stoked to watch this offense this season. Question: has UW ever had a QB in the last 30 years with this potential?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Probabl not but I would have loved to watch Bollinger under Chryst. Brooks was quite a prospect in 1999 but gradually wore down in college from too many hits. Brooks had several games in which he put up big numbers with his arm and his feet.

Q:
crazybadgerfan,
Birmingham, Michigan
- Jeff, Great game. So many people expressed fears that we didn't have adequate pass catchers, especially wide receivers. Do you think this game showed this current group of WR's, TE's and running backs are good enough to carry the team to a successful passing game this year? Especially Toon, Abby and Doe?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I think this team has threats at all three levels (WR -- Garner back this week), TE and running back (include Ewing). That will give the qb options and put a lot of stress on defense. But I thought that would be the case before the opener.

Q:
Joe ,
Dallas, TX
- Having a talented guy like Chris Borland back helps the defense a great deal. But given his size he does not look like a middle linebacker to me.
Can Borland be successful at middle linebacker or should the Badgers move him back outside where he was so good two years ago?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Yes, he can play in the middle and despite the protestations of UW followers on the various fan boards he is staying there. People rave about Chris as an OLB in 2009 but for some reason they forget he couldn't crack the starting lineup until Taylor got hurt. Chris made a lot of plays as a pass-rusher but his overall LB play that season was average.

Q:
SuperDave,
Sussex
- Jeff, after watching Thursday's game against UNLV, and the all-round game of Ball and White, I was reminded of the year that the Badgers had Brian Calhoun. He was the last complete back to play for UW. He was shifty, fast, could run outside or between the tackles, and was a major receiving threat.
It is scary to think about all of the options that Paul Chryst has with White and Ball, and Brady Ewing. And they should be even better than Brian Calhoun, because endurance should not be an issue since there is more than one! Your thoughts?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I think this group of running backs will be better collectively because of the depth. Remember Brian was pretty much a one-man show (best all-around TB I've covered at UW). He would have had help but Hill was hurt in camp that season but Brian was in fabulous condition.

Q:
SuperDave,
Sussex
- Russell Wilson had very good numbers while at NCST, while still getting sacked up to 39 times in a year. I think he is beginning to realize how good he can be in this offense if he doesn't need to listen for oncoming footsteps. I think the D-coordinators in the Big Ten are going to be up late during the week leading up to their games against the Badgers trying to contain this offense. His ability to throw accurately on rollouts was very impressive against UNLV. And when he runs, he is going to get great downfield blocking from his receivers, as evidenced on his touchdown scamper. I doubt his receivers at NCST were that proficient in blocking!

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Said it after I saw him in camp and I'll repeat it here: UW won the lottery this summer.

Q:
Dave Cousin,
Falmouth, Mass
- Wouldn't Chris Borland be more effective if he were back at the outside linebacker position? He appears to be somewhat lost in the middle linebacker position as opposed to his outstanding play when he is playing the outside linebacker position. He doesn't appear to be utilized as effectively as he could be on defense?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- He has played one game at MLB. His first full game since December of 2009. How can I politely say fans are being a bit premature suggesting he's lost at his new position and should be moved back to OLB immediately?

Q:
JJ.,
Saint Paul
- Hi Jeff, welcome back college football. Coach Ash mentioned that they did not see the formation that UNLV were used on offense during the game. Did you see the coached on defense make the adjustment? It seems that the defense had problems the whole game. Thank you

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Talked to Chris about that on Sunday. Will have the story up later. They had some issues throughout the game but remember the two scores came after it was 51-3. I think the defense will be solid this season, though not dominating. Remember, too, that we didn't exactly see much in the way of blitz packages. When they went nickel it was a standard 4-2-5 with a four-man rush. He has more in his arsenal.

Q:
Jeff Reich,
Fishers, Indiana
- Jeff:
The announcers suggested that the Badgers may have been holding back on defense, keeping it vanilla, so Oregon State would not see the full package they can bring to the table. This came up after the Badgers looked soft against the run. Is that feasible, in your mind, to not show all your capabilities in an opener?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Is it feasible? That is the case every season for 99.9% of the teams around the country. I don't know of a single coach who uses the entire playbook -- offense or defense -- in Week 1.

Q:
Mike,
Kiel,WI
- The defense seems just as lackluster as it has in the past. With the offense the Badgers have this year, wouldn't it make sense for the defense to blitz, play tight on receivers and take as many chances as possible? Even if they make mistakes, the offense will step up and save the day. I just hate to see the opposition slowly grind out yards on the Badger defense.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I look at this this way. Why in the world would the defensive coordinator use an exotic game plan and show his hand (blitz packages) against a team UW beat by 34 points and thus give Big Ten foes early film on what UW can and can't do defensively? The answer: he would be unwise to empty the defensive playbook and tip his hand against a team like UNLV.

Q:
Portland Badger,
Portland, OR
- In terms of UW qualifying for the BT championship game, do all BT games count or just the games in their division. In other words does the Nebraska game count other than as a tie-breaker? Thanks.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- All Big Ten games count but the Division winners meet. If the top two teams in the Legends are 8-0 and 7-1 and UW wins the Leaders with a 6-2 mark UW goes to the title game.

Q:
Charlie Brown,
Marshfield, Wis.
- Hope the Badgers live up to expectations. But, I see them at 8-3 or even 7-4 if
that defense doesn't straighten up. Think Michigan is underated and OSU will play with a chip on their shoulder. Also, Nebraska is the class of the Big 10. Ihope I'm wrong.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- UW will be able to "outscore" lots of people this season. Michigan? What do the Wolverines have to do with UW's chances. Teams can't meet unless it is in the title game. UW will beat the Huskers.

Q:
Chris M
- Jeff- How badly does the Oregon State loss to Sacremento State hurt the Badgers Strength of Schedule?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- It's one game. If Oregon State finishes 0-13 UW's SOS takes a hit. It is way too early to start worrying about SOS.

Q:
Jason,
Slinger, WI
- Hi Jeff,
I was impressed with the way the freshman Melvin Gordan ran when given some carries later in the game against UNLV. He seems to be cut in the same mold of James White with his shiftiness and burst. Do you see him getting more work earlier in games, perhaps UW shifts more towards a 3 back rotation? Or will it basically be the Ball/White show, until the game gets out of hand?
Thanks

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I would hope 28 and 20 will get the bulk of the carries until the outcome has been decided. I wrote the other day they could/should put Gordon on kickoff returns in place of White. At some point we will see it.

Q:
Aaron,
Green Bay, WI
- Hey Jeff.....don't you just love the Taco Bell big box? What a steal for only 5 bucks.
Anyway, onto the serious stuff, how is OT Dallas Lewallen doing this year? I know he had a productive year last year on the scout team and heard he had an injury setback this year. What is prognosis for this year? Do you see him making any contributions this year? If not this year, how about in the future? Thanks!

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Lewallen is at guard. He suffered a knee injury in camp and is out indefinitely. I don't see him getting involved much this season.

Q:
Dennis,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
- I am transplanted Badger. I feel this is one of the best chances for a NC for Wis in my memory. There is a huge amount of talent. Is NC a realistic vision?.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Possible. Realistic? Can't say that for the simple reason that it is out of UW's control. What is in UW's control is a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth. Anything more they would need help from others.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- He hasn't redshirted yet. If needed (injuries) he could play. They hope to redshirt him but not playing in the opener doesn't mean a player has redshirted.

Q:
vrnjak,
Lake Geneva, WI
- Aside from injuries to starting OL, is there a package that can get Groy on the field on a regular basis? He's a freak of nature and must be unleashed as a pulling guard.
320 lbs x 4.6 sec-40-yd-dash = defenders picking up chiclets

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I asked early whether they might use him as a jumbo TE like Nagy last season. They didn't seem to think that would happen given Ryan is the PP on punt coverage. We'll see if they need a jumbo package this season. Might not given what they have at QB. Ryan isn't going to displace Zeitler and Travis was playing well before he got nicked.

Q:
Dave,
Jackson, Wi
- Jeff, Are you at all concerned at the lack of depth at the QB position?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- No more than in 2009 and 2010.

Q:
Joe,
Kenosha
- Gordon got some mop up time in the 4th qtr. I do not see him getting much playing time with solid backs ahead of him on the depth chart. Is Gordon an option for UW to redshirt?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- No.

Q:
Hatchet Creek,
Wausau
- Do you think the Badgers will still play vanilla on both offense and defense against Oregon State in preparation for Nebraska?

Q:
Erik,
Buford, GA
- TGP,
Watching the 1st team offense operate is a thing of beauty. I don't watch all the teams play, but I have a hard time believing there is a more effecient offense in the country. They are electric and physical! Do you think they have the best offense in college football?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- I saw a handful of games last week. UW has played one game. UW's O was impressive. Best in the land? I have no way of knowing and even if I had more evidence I wouldn't go that far given we're one week into the season.

Q:
Badgergrad,
Beaver Dam, WI
- I never saw a TV replay on the touchdown that was reviewed but marked on the one yard line. What did you see on tube to show it was not a TD?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Last question of the night. The call on the field was NO touchdown. There was not evidence to overturn the call and it appeared the ball (in Ewing's right arm) did not break the goal line before he went down.